Feature Req: Eliminate Inspectors
 

I've been using OF and iOF for some time. I like the app but it is missing a couple of features:

- tags
- in-line updates

I know there has been lots of discussions on the forum concerning tags so I won't add anything here other than to say, be careful what you wish for ;)

I use other apps that have tagging and quickly find that I over-complicate by adding too many tags. Having said that, i still think it would be a valuable feature in OF.

My main point here is on elimination of the clunky inspector window. I've played around with Things a bit. It has both tags and no inspector windows. For the record, I prefer OF over Things. However, I prefer the Things approach to in-line editing (via expanding the window similar to how the paper clip in OF expands the window for notes). The current OF "inspector" approach is too time consuming. I leave the inspector minimized, otherwise it's it the way. However, to use it, you first have to maximize it - painful.

Finally, I'd like to recommend a voting process for feature requests. I use a Twitter tool called TweetDeck. The TweetDeck forum has implemented a voting protocol for feature enhancements. Every forum member gets 10 votes and you can spread your votes however you like across a list of feature requests. Of course, you can add to feature list at any time.

Thanks for considering my feature requests and thanks for a great product.

[QUOTE=rebunkerjr;56260]
My main point here is on elimination of the clunky inspector window. I've played around with Things a bit. It has both tags and no inspector windows. For the record, I prefer OF over Things. However, I prefer the Things approach to in-line editing (via expanding the window similar to how the paper clip in OF expands the window for notes). The current OF "inspector" approach is too time consuming. I leave the inspector minimized, otherwise it's it the way. However, to use it, you first have to maximize it - painful.
[/QUOTE]

Maybe you should try eliminating it altogether when you aren't using it. You can send it away and bring it back with cmd-shift-I instead of using the mouse. You don't have anything obstructing part of your view, and you don't have to get the cursor back to a specific tiny spot on the screen.

I actually like the inspector approach, and think that trying to jam all of that information (an ever-growing quantity) into an editing "window" underneath the action(s) being edited would be problematic. For one thing, it would be difficult to edit items close to the bottom of the screen without losing a bunch of context off the top of the screen. And what if you have an expanded note? Does this editing "window" go before or after the note? I'm often referring to the contents of the notes when editing information in the inspector, which isn't an issue with the inspector because I can position it and the note content independently. There certainly are times when it seems like the inspector is always in the way, or not handy when I need it, but what I visualize from seeing Things and reading the suggestions on the forums doesn't lead to confidence that I wouldn't merely be trading one occasional inconvenience for another.

There's also the issue of editing multiple items simultaneously. This is easily accomplished with the inspector: select multiple items and inspector changes apply to *all* of them. How would this be done if each item had its own pane that expanded beneath the item?

As for convenience, having to click a widget to expand/collapse an item's info pane doesn't seem significantly more efficient than just clicking the inspector button in the toolbar to show/hide the inspector. In fact, it could be argued the toolbar inspector button is actually *easier* because the button is always in the same place and the click target area would probably be larger.

So I still prefer the inspector. I actually see the lack of an inspector in Things as a shortcoming in that app and one of the reasons OmniFocus is a better pro-level app.

-Dennis

[QUOTE=Toadling;56273]There's also the issue of editing multiple items simultaneously. This is easily accomplished with the inspector: select multiple items and inspector changes apply to *all* of them. How would this be done if each item had its own pane that expanded beneath the item?
[/QUOTE]

I thought a bit about that. If you could build up the selection, then have the edit section appear on one of the items in the selection in the visible portion of the window, along with some indication that you were editing multiple items, that seems like it could work. It [b]would[/b] be a complete deal-breaker if you couldn't edit multiple items at once!

Things will let you select multiple items, but when you hit the Edit button it only edits the first one, though if you hit the Today button it assigns all the items to Today. Inconsistent UI, no donuts for the programmer :)

moving to inspector without using mouse
 

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;56264]You can send it away and bring it back with cmd-shift-I instead of using the mouse. [/QUOTE]

While cmd-shift-I is great for showing the inspector, I have not found a way to move to the inspector window without using the mouse.

For example "tab" just moves within the OF item the inspector was invoked on, and cmd-` doesn't get you there either.

If there is a kbd shortcut, I'd like to know it...

- Don

No keyboard shortcut of which I'm aware for moving the inspector. I just put it in a place where it tends not to interfere with what I need to see while I am using it. For me, the upper left side of the window, over the sidebar and part of the toolbar, works well. This would be less convenient if it took more work to make it hide and return, to be sure...

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;56287]No keyboard shortcut of which I'm aware for moving the inspector. [/QUOTE]

I'm looking for a keyboard shortcut to MOVE TO the inspector, not to move the inspector.

- Don

Sorry, my bad, didn't spot the "to" in there. My answer is largely the same, however -- don't know of a keyboard shortcut to do that.

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;56301]Sorry, my bad, didn't spot the "to" in there. My answer is largely the same, however -- don't know of a keyboard shortcut to do that.[/QUOTE]

Understood. Just trying to do "due diligence" before making a feature request :)

- Don

Bring Back Drawers!
 

I like the separate Inspector too, though it adds a bit of desktop clutter.

I would like the Inspector moved into a drawer ... that seems like it would solve many of the problems:
- easy to open/close (mouse pull, toolbar icon, keyboard shortcut)
- stays with the main window
- doesn't interfere with the main list of actions

But I like drawers anyway.